“Boost” to develop OCOP products

This will be a "push" for entities in the province to invest in developing potential products in the coming time.

Promoting traditional crafts

Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative was established in 2019 with 276 members operating in fields such as rice processing, cashew nuts, beekeeping for honey... In which, raising and exploiting honey according to VietGAP standards is the strength of the Cooperative. Currently, the Cooperative is linking to raise and exploit about 10,000 honey bee colonies in Gia Lai and neighboring provinces.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoang Anh - Director of Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative - shared: Gia Lai has a large area of raw materials for coffee, rubber, cashew and fruit trees, favorable for developing beekeeping for honey.

“My family has many generations of beekeeping. To increase the value of the product and build a honey brand, I have linked up with beekeeping households to establish Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative. The cooperative raises bees according to VietGAP standards with an output of about 1,000 tons of raw honey/year.

Over the years, the Cooperative has continuously invested in purchasing machinery and equipment to create high-quality honey products. In 2019, the Cooperative had 4 products recognized as achieving 4-star OCOP at the provincial level" - Director of Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative said.

Tourists learn about Phuong Di honey products sold at Bien Ho Tourist Area (Pleiku City). **Photo: ND**

Mr. Tran Nguyen Hoi (Ia Der commune, Ia Grai district) said: He has been a member of the cooperative since its establishment. He currently raises 400 bee colonies for honey according to VietGAP standards. If the weather is warm and sunny, he harvests honey once every 8-10 days.

“Each batch, I collect about 3 tons of raw honey and bring it back to the cooperative’s workshop to separate the ingredients to ensure standards and bottle it. On average, each year, I earn a profit of more than 200 million VND,” Mr. Hoi informed.

Mr. Hoi is checking the bee bridge. **Photo: ND**

According to Mr. Hoi, the raw honey products of the members are purchased by the cooperative at a stable price. Recently, the cooperative's honey products were recognized as achieving 5-star OCOP. This is the motivation for members to develop the beekeeping profession to bring the highest economic efficiency.

Motivation to develop OCOP products

According to information from the Provincial New Rural Area Coordination Office, after 5 years of implementation, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program in the province has attracted many participants. Thanks to that, the province's OCOP products have not only increased in quantity but also their quality has been highly appreciated by consumers.

Phuong Di honey products are recognized as 5-star OCOP products, which is a premise to encourage other entities to continue investing in developing potential OCOP products from 4 stars to 5 stars in the coming time.

Tourists learn about Phuong Di honey. **Photo: ND**

According to Director of Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative, many honey products and honey-based products of the Cooperative are currently being consumed strongly on e-commerce platforms. In particular, the Cooperative's honeycomb products are being highly appreciated by domestic and foreign consumers.

In 2024, many customers from Korea and some countries around the world came to the Cooperative to visit, learn, and discuss long-term consumption. This is the motivation for the Cooperative to invest in improving the quality to be worthy of being a 5-star OCOP product.

“Currently, the Cooperative has applied 4.0 technology in production and consumption, so the output no longer depends on traders. The Cooperative's honey products are available on e-commerce platforms. Currently, the Cooperative prioritizes deep processing of honey products to target the export market. In particular, the Cooperative will continuously invest in expanding its scale, improving product quality, and diversifying its consumption markets,” said the Director of the Phuong Di Bee Honey Cooperative excitedly.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Tran Van Van - Deputy Chief of the Provincial New Rural Area Coordination Office - informed: After 5 years of implementing the OCOP Program, up to now, the whole province has 76 4-star OCOP products and 386 3-star products.

Currently, Gia Lai has 5 products completing the application for 5-star OCOP recognition including: Dak Yang coffee, Fine Robusta coffee, Le Chi organic red pepper, Le Chi organic black pepper and Le Chi organic white pepper.

Phuong Di honey products are recognized as 5-star OCOP products, which is a great motivation for entities in the province to invest in developing potential products in the coming time.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/cu-hich-de-phat-trien-san-pham-ocop-post311012.html